Tennis | Roland Garros

Stosur, Jankovic through; Li Na out

Former finalist Samantha Stosur and three-time semifinalist Jelena Jankovic beat torrential Paris rain to reach the third round at Roland Garros on Thursday.

After a one hour, 40 minute halt had left ninth-seeded Stosur a set and 4-1 up on France's Kristina Mladenovic, the Australian then took advantage of a 20-minute window on their return to Court Philippe Chatrier to complete a 6-4, 6-3 win.

The 2011 US Open champion will face Serb 18th seed Jelena Jankovic for a place in the last 16.

"I think she's a great up and coming player. She hits the ball very hard, very flat," said Jankovic of the Spaniard.

"And especially in the beginning of the match she gave me a lot of trouble. It was not easy playing against such a player."

Further rain stoppages, and then a final call-off, meant that there was only around five hours of play on a frustrating day which left women's champion Maria Sharapova stranded in her second round match.

Sharapova was 6-4, 4-2 up on Canadian teenager Eugenie Bouchard when play was suspended for the day.

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2011 women's champion Li Na went down 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 to brash American Bethanie Mattek-Sands in what was the 31-year-old's earliest defeat at the tournament in seven appearances.

As Mattek-Sands, the world number 67, looked forward to a third round match-up with Argentine qualifier Paula Ormaechea, Li was left surveying the wreckage of a second successive Roland Garros failure.

Twelve months ago, she went out in the last 16 to Kazakhstan's Yaroslava Shvedova, who herself was beaten by Ormaechea on Thursday.

"I know for sure I lost seven games in a row. It was tough conditions, back to the court three times," said Li after her on-off encounter.

Mattek-Sands had lost to Li in the semifinals on clay in Stuttgart, but admitted Thursday's win was one of her most satisfying.

"I knew Li wasn't going to give it to me. She's consistent and good in these situations," said the American.
Rain meant that there were four frustrating stoppages.

Earlier, China's Zheng Jie also reached the last 32 with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Melanie Oudin of the United States.

Kazakh 27th seed Yaroslava Shvedova, who made the quarterfinals last year, was knocked out by Argentine qualifier Ormaechea, 6-4, 7-6 (8/6).

Third seed Victoria Azarenka, meanwhile, reached the third round with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Germany's Annika Beck.

Australian Open champion Azarenka, a quarterfinalist in Paris in 2009 and 2011, next faces either France's Alize Cornet or Spain's Silvia Soler-Espinosa for a place in the last 16.

"I felt like I started the match really well, and then after a little break (for rain) I lost my focus there," said Azarenka.
"But I'm glad I could turn it around and step it up in the important moment."

But Czech seventh seed Petra Kvitova ended the hopes of another Chinese player, Peng Shuai, winning 6-4, 6-3
She will next face Jamie Hampton of the United States.

New Zealand's Marina Erakovic, the world 92, put out Slovak 16th seed Dominika Cibulkova, 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 to reach the third round for the first time.